late 14c., "act of referring to a third party for judgment or decision," from Old French submission, from Latin submissionem (nominative submissio) "a lowering, sinking, yielding," noun of action from past participle stem of submittere "lower, reduce, yield" (see submit). Sense of "humble obedience" is first recorded mid-15c. Modern French submission has been replaced by doublet soumission.

form of animal behaviour in which one individual attempts through appeasement displays to avoid injury by a dominant member of its own species. Appeasement displays are commonly found in species that are well armed (e.g., carnivores) and social. The displays, even when performed by adult males, commonly incorporate elements of infantile behaviour (e.g., in wolves, rolling over and begging for food) or of precopulatory behaviour (e.g., in baboons, presenting the buttocks to the dominant animal). Sometimes the submissive animal exposes its most vulnerable spot, such as the throat, to the dominant animal.